Of the Farmland
by Sunflower Skies
Summary: Kakashi is given the mission of raising an orphaned Sasuke Uchiha. Then when his dead sensei's son becomes homeless after a suspicious incident, he becomes part of the Hatake household too. And when they find a pink-haired girl all alone in the world, she's welcomed with open arms. AKA the story how the once most isolated ninja in all of Konoha becomes the dad of the future Sannin.
1. Against the Grain

❀.❀.❀

◆ **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

 **This is an AU, where canon will be there when I see it fits. The timeline will be different and plot points have changed, but some things remain the same.**

 **Basically, this is what happens when Kakashi raises three kids on his own. And those three kids just so happen to be destined for greatness.**

 **Thanks to _Ummmmmmmnothanks_ on Tumblr for the story idea!**

 **The cover image belongs to _Sandorclegane_ on Tumblr!**

 **And huge thanks to _Rhavia_ for being my Beta Reader!**

 **That's all, enjoy!**

.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━.

.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━.

┏━━━━━━━━━┓  
 **ＯＦ ＴＨＥ** **  
**══════════  
 **ＦＡＲＭＬＡＮＤ** **  
**┗━━━━━━━━━┛

 _ **ʙʏ sᴜɴғʟᴏᴡᴇʀ sᴋιᴇs**_

.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━.

.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━.

◤◥  
 **1  
** ◣ ◢

 **ＡＧＡＩＮＳＴ ＴＨＥ ＧＲＡＩＮ**

✥.✥.✥

 _"He plants trees to benefit another generation."  
_ _\- Caecilius Statius_

✥.✥.✥

For the first time in a long time, Kakashi Hatake didn't know what was going to happen next.

He was standing in the long, curved hallway of the Hokage Tower, sporting the standard dark grey ANBU uniform, veiled in a shadow. His shocking grey hair was dirtied and windswept, and despite the late time of night a sheen of sweat coated his well-toned body. Lifting up the porcelain mask that concealed his face, Kakashi swiped the back of his gloved hand across his forehead, hoping that the mid-summer heat wave rolling through Fire wouldn't last much longer.

It was long past dusk, and the streets below had finally quieted down as most people were beginning to turn in for the night. In the distance, the sounds of the bustling Yakan district, where most of the bars and late-night shops were located, could still be heard. Kakashi didn't spend much time in that part of town – too boisterous and full of drunks for his liking – but right about then, downing a bottle of chilled sake had never sounded better.

 _'This is going to be the start of another damn war.'_

It was a grim thought to have, no matter how briefly it crossed his mind. Interestingly enough, neither fear nor panic rippled through his body at the prospect of his village going into battle with another nation – whereas any sane person would at least be distressed to some degree. After all, who enjoyed being at war?

Konohagakure was still recovering from the Third Shinobi War, and that had ended years ago; victory didn't fix destroyed infrastructure or repair the economy. Recovering from war was a long and tedious process; the fact that Konoha won only meant that they were slightly better off than those who had lost.

In hindsight, Kakashi's lack of emotion concerning the topic probably said more about his character than he'd care to admit. Perhaps it was because it wouldn't be the first war he had been a part of, hell, not even the second – which was rather disheartening considering that he wasn't even twenty years of age. Or perhaps it was true what people said about him, that Kakashi Hatake was cold-hearted and even the terrors of war weren't enough to elicit feeling from him.

Kakashi liked to think that wasn't true. But he'd never been all too great at self-introspection, either. Though it wasn't like he ever took the whispers that came from the village rumor-mill to heart, anyway. Gossip was nothing more than petty lies people made up to make themselves feel better or tear someone else down, and Kakashi had no penchant for either of those things.

" _Tsk_ ," he clicked his tongue, knowing better than to dwell on the idea of war for long; whenever he brooded over his dark thoughts too much, he ended up with a headache and a sour taste in his mouth.

 _'Nothing has been declared yet,'_ he told himself, eyes glancing up toward the ceiling. There were no call-to-arms as of now, and perhaps, if he was allowed, he could help keep it that way.

Kakashi sighed, shaking his head softly. Whatever was to come – war or not – it would be nothing new. Not to him, nor to the village in which he had been born and raised. Kakashi Hatake was a shinobi of the Leaf, and he had pledged to lay down his life it meant the survival of Konohagakure. So no, the idea of going to war once more didn't scare him. If anything, he was upset that the peacetime hadn't lasted longer. There were still too many things to do before the world around him fell into chaos once more.

Beginning to taste the faintest trace of nickel in the back of his molars, Kakashi halted himself from pondering the future of Konoha any more that night. It sure didn't help that he was utterly sleep deprived. Compartmentalizing all his thoughts on possible inter-village war, Kakashi saved them to be picked over at a later time – ideally when he wasn't so tired or hungry.

So for now, the Leaf shinobi focused his remaining energy on what he did know to be true.

 _'One thousand, seven hundred and forty-three dead.'_

That was it. That was what he knew. Nearly a fifth of Konoha's population was gone, decimated in a blink of the eye. All it had taken was a single act of pure evil.

Even the most gruesome of battles from the Second and Third Wars hadn't ended with such a high body count. And the fact that it all happened in a short period of time, just one night, why, that was unheard of.

While war may not have scared the Copy Ninja, the idea that something was strong enough to wipe out one of their most elite clans so easily, and without any resistance, terrified him. Only the bijū were said to have that much power and lust for destruction, and Kakashi was sure that the only tailed beast anywhere near Konoha was still adequately sealed away – though he made a note to check on the village's young jinchūriki soon, hoping that he hadn't gotten into too much trouble while Kakashi had been away. _'But that'd just be wishful thinking,'_ he told himself, remembering that not too long ago, an entire town block had been spray painted with crude images, and only one boy in all of Konoha had the audacity to pull off a stunt like that.

With a heavy sigh, Kakashi looked out the large window from where he stood and licked at his chapped lips. Since his return back to Konoha just an hour ago, he had been curious how much the rest of the village knew about the incident. It wasn't as if they could hide the fact that all the Uchiha were gone from the public, but the Hokage and his council would undoubtedly hold back details regardless, like who had done it – if they knew who the culprit was. Surely the village shinobi knew more than the civilians, but there still had to have been an explanation given to the public so there was no widespread hysteria; genocide and panic always walked hand-in-hand.

 _'Now I just need to be told the specifics of what happened,'_ he mused. At least, that's what he presumed the reason for his summoning back to Konoha was. Why else would they have pulled him out of Kumo so hastily if not to put him on a new mission?

Kakashi checked the clock on the wall and frowned. It wasn't like the Hokage to keep someone waiting so long, especially when he had personally requested them. Usually, it was Kakashi who was late for meetings, having to apologize for his tardiness with some off-hand excuse. Tonight, however, he had been standing in wait for nearly forty minutes. He hoped that the Hokage and council elders hadn't forgotten about him already. Of course, there was the chance that they hadn't expected him to make it back to the village so soon. Just to be safe, Kakashi flexed his chakra every so often, that way his presence would be known to those on the inside.

The hallway in which he stood was softly lit, the lanterns that hung from the ceiling having been dimmed for the night. With his back pressed against the oak paneled walls and his arms lightly crossed over his armor-plated chest, the ninja pondered what his new job would be going forward. To lead a team after the perpetrator of the attack? Infiltrate whatever village led the strike? Even aiding Ibiki in T&I was a possibility – though Kakashi didn't see himself as the type for interrogating. He had never been taken a liking for mind games, though he understood the value of employing such techniques.

While Kakashi preferred missions that were quick to complete with a clear objective, Kakashi knew that there were too many factors on the table to think that things would be clean cut. This was a one-of-a-kind situation, and each move would need to be tactful and well-planned. The Hokage would try to avoid the start of a Fourth Shinobi War as much as possible, as resources were still highly limited. Kakashi ran his fingers across his scalp – which only reminded him how much he was in need of a shower. No matter how tired he may have felt at the time, he would be ready to fulfill the mission assigned to him by the Hokage. The urge to go home and sleep would just have to be put on hold.

He smiled beneath his mask for a small moment. If he ended up being put on a team with Gai and his loud personality, that would surely be enough to keep Kakashi awake for the mission's duration. He then wondered what the current tally was regarding the duo's ever on-going challenges. Kakashi was pretty sure that after their last race, he was up by two. Gai, with no doubt, would already have another test of "Eternal Youth!' planned for their next meet.

While he idly continued to wait, Kakashi thought about reaching for his new copy of Icha Icha Paradise, which had taken up residence within the inner-breast pocket of his flak jacket since its purchase. Some – mostly Iruka and Kurenai – called him perverted for enjoying it so much, but Kakashi found the book to be somewhat engaging and have a decent plotline – of course, the smut didn't hurt either.

However, he followed his better judgment and left the orange covered book alone; he knew that now was not an appropriate time for such readings. Kakashi would just have to wait until he returned to his apartment to finish the last chapter and find out if sweet Mami-chan chose to be with the successful and smart Tadashi or the handsome and rebellious Jurou. After all, it wouldn't look well if the Hokage himself caught him reading an erotic novella right outside of his office.

Kakashi's ears perked up when he felt the departure of several chakra signatures from inside the office, most likely ANBU who had just been given mission orders. If he recalled correctly, Squirrel, Bear, and Raccoon were currently on the Hokage's personal guard duty this rotation. Kakashi stood a little straighter, his senses heightened.

 _'Finally,'_ he thought as he heard footsteps, followed by the sound of the heavy wooden office doors swinging open. An old man wearing glasses and simple robes poked his head out, looking up and down the hallway before his eyes landed on Kakashi. The old man didn't bother to smile.

"Hatake," Homura Mitokado said, not in greeting but rather a simple indication to follow him inside.

Kakashi didn't say anything in return; neither of the men had ever been amicable towards one another over the years, and tonight certainly wouldn't change that. He pushed himself away from the wall and silently trailed behind Homura into the office.

Immediately, Kakashi noticed that he was the only active shinobi present – no ANBU were hiding in the corners or outside on the window's ledge. He had thought that there'd at least be a fellow jōnin at the meeting with him, but alas, it looked to be a private appointment between him and the council.

 _'A solo mission then,'_ Kakashi figured. If he were to be put on a team, said teammates would have been present as well. It looked like his next challenge with Gai would have to wait a bit longer.

Homura stepped back and took his place next to the old lady, Koharu Utatane, who was giving Kakashi a look that he could only classify as a scowl. To be frank, he wasn't going to be all that saddened when those two finally kicked the bucket. Since his very first mission assignment, all those two was did was complain about one thing or another. Never did he see them actually make an effort to instate the change they wanted to see. If they hadn't been his teammates back in the day, Kakashi was sure the Hokage wouldn't bother keeping them around. He sure as hell wouldn't if he was in the Sandaime's position.

The sound of shifting robes and a tap of wood collected Kakashi's attention. Standing by the window on the other side of the room was someone that immediately made the hairs on his neck stand on end. Someone who made Koharu and Homura look trustworthy in comparison and really question the Hokage's better judgment when it came to his choice of council members.

It was Danzō Shimura, a man whom Kakashi had never been able to understand. A man whose virtues were so radical that he would be willing to destroy Konoha if it meant he could rebuild it from the ground up, instilling the archaic ideals he thought best for the village. Danzō was a man who somehow managed to remain on the council despite having views so drastically different from the Hokage. He was one of the few men that Kakashi feared.

The feeling of regret racked through Kakashi's body – as it did every time he saw the old, crippled shinobi – as he thought back to when he had been convinced to work under Danzō. That was a time of poor judgment in his life. He had tried to tell himself that it wasn't his fault, that there had been so much going on that it had been easy to sway him over, that he had been young and naïve…

 _'Doesn't make it right,'_ he vehemently thought, _'Some things can't be forgiven.'_

Kakashi was grateful that he had enough sense to realize how wrong Danzō was and had stopped himself from making one mistake that would have cost him everything.

"Kakashi," called a voice, bringing the white-haired ninja away from his thoughts. He turned to the speaker, his body releasing the tension it had taken on from the sight of Danzō. "Thank you for waiting. I'm glad to see that you managed to come back on such short notice. I know the journey must not have been pleasant in such hot weather."

Sitting behind his desk, with the most massive stack of paperwork Kakashi had seen so far, was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure. An old reed pipe hung from the corner of his mouth, with plumes of pungent smoke swirling out from the end.

Kakashi noted the dark and heavy bags beneath his eyes, making the old man look especially feeble and frail. It was clear that he had not slept in quite some time – probably not since the massacre. The ordeal must have been taking an incredible toll on the Hokage, and Kakashi prayed to the gods that the aftermath wouldn't bring the end of him.

Konoha needed its Hokage now more than ever.

Kakashi stepped toward the desk and kneeled to show honor, uncovering his face and placing the ANBU mask at his side; he met the Sandaime's gaze and gave a curt nod before averting his eyes toward the floorboards. "I came as soon as the messenger raven reached me. I apologize for not being here sooner."

"Nonsense, Kakashi," spouted the Hokage, a cloud of grey smoke filling the air between them. "I'd be hard to find another shinobi who could have made the journey in the time you did!"

Kakashi remained humbly quiet, but he didn't disagree with the statement.

When he had received the encrypted message two days prior, he had nearly fallen out of the tree he had been perched in. What the letter transcribed, well, it was unbelievable. Impossible, even! The entire Uchiha clan killed? No, he wouldn't believe it.

And that was why he initially assumed the letter to be a trap, sent by the enemy to lure him out. He had been stationed in Kumo for nearly two months, surveying the village for a deep reconnaissance mission after the Hyūga Affair. Though the chances of him having been found out by Cloud-nin seemed unlikely – he was too stealthy to have been caught.

However, it was the red wax seal pressed into the parchment that guaranteed the letter to be legitimate. It bore the Sandaime's personal crest and was even infused with his own chakra so that only a Leaf shinobi would be able to open the letter - protection against any kind of interception. That was something not even the best forgers could fake.

 _'May the Kami have mercy on us all,'_ was all Kakashi had thought before he gathered his supplies and fled from his hidden post in the craggy cliffs below the Hidden Cloud Village.

The journey from the Land of Lightning should have taken four days, but he knew the importance of his return and only allowed himself to rest twice, cutting that time in half. However, now that Kakashi was back in his home village, he was beginning to feel the after-effects from pushing his body so hard.

A long, well-deserved nap was most definitely in his future.

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi greeted. "I assume you've called me here to give me the details of the matter."

"How perceptive," scoffed Danzō from across the room, his sight still focused on the darkening horizon. Kakashi knew better than to pay him any mind. The Hokage glared disapprovingly from the corner of his eyes but didn't reprimand the older man. They were all on edge right now, and because of that, everyone was a bit more callous than usual.

"Do you know what village organized the attack?" Kakashi asked, trying not to sound impatient. He wanted to get straight to the facts. The sooner he found out who or what caused this, the quicker he could go out and destroy it. It was all he could think about on his trip back from Kumo.

The Hokage fell deathly silent, and Kakashi was sobered by the somberness that filled the room. So they did know, and clearly, it wasn't good. _'I was right. It'll be the start of the Fourth War for sure.'_

Both Homura and Koharu looked at the Sandaime before slowly nodding, as if giving their approval for him to share more details. Danzō didn't turn from the window, but Kakashi saw his shoulders tense.

"This wasn't the doing of another village."

Kakashi froze. Who else would want the Uchiha clan destroyed? His mind raced with possibilities. Perhaps a squadron of missing-nin with a grudge or a large group of mercenaries hired by someone looking for political power? He even thought of the group of rogue ninja based in Ame, though their name currently escaped him.

The Hokage frowned, the crinkles around his eyes deepening. "I'm afraid that the killer was, in fact, a Leaf Shinobi."

Kakashi's uncovered eye widened with shock. An inside job.

Immediately, without looking in his direction, Kakashi felt out for Danzō's chakra signature, to see if there were any sudden changes, any hints of guilt, but he detected nothing. Kakashi's heart was racing and—

Wait. Had the Hokage said _killer_? As in, only _one_ person was responsible? That couldn't be right. No single shinobi was strong enough to take out a force that large in number. And who in their village could face all of the Uchiha clan alone? Why, they would have had to have a Sharingan of their own even to stand a chance, which would mean…

And right then, Kakashi pieced together the puzzle. If the deed truly was done alone, there was only one person in all of Konoha who would be capable of such an act. His blood ran cold at the realization.

Folding his hands on top of the desk, Hiruzen looked absolutely devastated as he said, "Itachi Uchiha is responsible for the annihilation of his own clan."

Kakashi felt like he was going to be sick.

No, not Itachi. Not the quiet and dedicated boy he was only just beginning to get to know. Not the boy who had risen through the shinobi ranks nearly as fast as Kakashi had. Not the boy who was unquestionably the pride of Konohagakure.

"I-Itachi Uchiha is only a child!" Kakashi croaked, more so to himself than the others present. His brain was desperately trying to grasp at straws that just weren't there. Why would Itachi do it? There had to be a mistake!

Homura scoffed at Kakashi. "Itachi Uchiha was one of the best shinobi this village has ever raised or seen."

Kakashi didn't like how they spoke of him in the past tense, though he understood why. The moment Itachi decided to kill his own family, he could no longer be considered a Leaf shinobi, having betrayed the trust of his village. He would forever be a rogue ninja and enemy of Konoha.

 _'Not even ten years of age and already condemned to a lifetime as a fugitive.'_ Kakashi was greatly saddened for the young boy, but perhaps it was because he was having a hard time processing the fact that Itachi had committed the vilest act in all of Konoha's history.

"You know better than anyone that age does not determine one's ability to take a life," Koharu droned. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as if she thought Kakashi was going to lash out at any moment. Like Homura, Koharu was also not very fond of him. Not since his father had died.

Kakashi shivered.

"When? How? More importantly, why?" He didn't sound like the seasoned jōnin he was, but more like a distraught genin fresh from the Academy.

 _'Kami-sama,'_ he swore to himself. How had he not seen it coming? There had to have been warning signs. He was supposed to see through things like this, underneath the underneath and all that. What did it say about him as a ninja for being so oblivious to Itachi's true nature? The two had been teammates, so if anyone were to have sensed Itachi's true malicious personality, it should have been him.

 _'Add this to my list of great failures,'_ he gratingly thought. Apparently, losing his first two teammates wasn't enough; was he destined to be alone?

The Hokage stood and took a deep breath. His eyes were blank as he looked past Kakashi. "It happened sometime between midnight and dawn. The attack was quick and silent, so much that no alarms were raised. It wasn't until the next day when ANBU found the bodies in the streets of the compound."

"What am I to do, Hokage-sama?"

Itachi would no doubt be labeled as an S-rank ninja and had just earned a top spot in every bingo book within the Great Nations. Hunting him down would become a top priority for Konoha.

"There is one detail that I have yet to divulge."

Kakashi's head tilted to the side. What else was there to know? The Uchiha were dead by one of their own. "Sir?"

"Not every Uchiha died in the massacre," said the Hokage in a guarded tone; his eyes reflected a deep sadness. "Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke, was spared the terrible fate that the rest of his clan shared."

Kakashi's stomach filled with twists and knots at the revelation. _'That's right, Itachi has a sibling.'_ He could remember Itachi speaking of him on a few occasions. He had seemed to be very fond of his baby brother. In fact, when Itachi spoke of the young Sasuke, he would even show a rare smile of his.

Kakashi had never met the boy, but still... He knew that the two must have been close.

"Why would Itachi let him live?" he asked. Why just spare his brother?

"We do not know the answer to that, but what we do know is that Sasuke is now alone in this world. The worst thing imaginable just happened and…" The Hokage paused, at a loss for words.

Kakashi felt an intense force begin to consume the Hokage, one fueled by doubt and shame and sadness. It was a feeling Kakashi knew all too well.

At that moment, he pitied the Sandaime. Putting into words what the young Uchiha was going through wasn't an easy task; Kakashi could only partially sympathize with Sasuke, having lost his own father – though the two were still hardly comparable accounts of loss. He also knew that as the leader of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi must have never felt so ashamed. He had failed not only the Uchiha clan but his entire village, too. For it was his sole duty as Hokage to keep the people of Konoha safe.

Kakashi hated to think it, but perhaps re-taking the position of Hokage from Minato had been the wrong decision. Could it have been that Hiruzen was no longer strong enough to protect his village? Then again, he couldn't think of anyone else who could fill the position better.

Clearing his throat softly, Kakashi gained the Hokage's attention again. "And what is it that I am to do? Go after Itachi? My ninken can start picking up the trail now. I can speak with Tsume, too. The Hyūga would also be ideal for this—"

"The boy sees himself a delegator!" mused Koharu with a sneer, her beady eyes picking Kakashi apart from where she stood. He had to carefully control himself as to not release accidental killing intent toward Koharu – though he wouldn't mind scaring the old hag a bit. It wasn't like she didn't have it coming.

"ANBU squads have already been sent out on reconnaissance missions to track the whereabouts of Itachi. No orders have been made to apprehend him just yet," explained Homura, his voice hoarse from age. He looked to the Hokage and added, "I still don't think that Jiraiya needs to be involved in this matter. He himself is no longer that of the Leaf."

The Hokage waved his hand at the implication. "Don't be ridiculous. Jiraiya may not wear our symbol, but his loyalty will always be with Konoha."

Hearing that Jiraiya was helping with this brought some relief to Kakashi. While he and the Sage may not have worked much together, they shared similar ideals. He was someone that Kakashi knew they could trust. Minato had, after all.

Kakashi then began to wonder why his own ANBU squad, Ro, had not been tasked with such mission. Perhaps because Itachi was more familiar with Ro's fighting style and would make any kind of confrontation more difficult. Or was it because Itachi himself had been a part of that team and thus, the entire unit was not to be trusted? Did the Hokage suspect Kakashi to have been involved in the massacre?

The Hokage brought the pipe away from his mouth and held it in his hand, taking a moment to breathe in clean air. "What I want from you, Kakashi, is much greater than simply tracking down Itachi. In fact, this mission will possibly be the greatest challenge you will ever face. It took me a great deal of time deciding that assigning you such a task was the right decision."

Something more difficult than taking down Itachi Uchiha? Kakashi was hard pressed to think what would be more challenging than that. "Anything, Hokage-sama."

"The boy, Sasuke, has developed the Sharingan."

Kakashi shook his head glumly. Of course he had. If there were ever a time, that would have been it. "How much did he see?" Itachi sparing Sasuke's life may just have been a fate far worse than death itself.

"It's hard to say. Since Sasuke was brought to the hospital, he's refused to say a word. The psychological trauma he's going through, well…" the Hokage twirled his pipe, again trying to find the proper wording. "It's simply incalculable. He's currently being closely monitored in a private sector. We've had to sedate him in fear of him lashing out at others or even from hurting himself. The poor child is in a terrible state of suffering right now."

"I can't imagine…" Kakashi said. Finding his own father's body had been one thing, but at least he hadn't been there to witness it happen.

"I'm going to be frank with you, Kakashi." The Hokage's demeanor instantly changed; his stance became stiff and his face serious, losing all traces of melancholy. "As you are now the only other villager with an active Sharingan in Konoha, with the skill to both access and wield its powers, I want you to teach and watch over the boy."

"You want me to… give him lessons?" Kakashi asked with a furrow of his brows. "I'm not really the teaching type, Sir."

"It's more than just that, Kakashi," the Hokage explained. "After all that's happened, the council and I have concluded that Sasuke Uchiha should not be left alone to his own devices in fear that a deep hatred, not only for his brother but for Konoha as a whole, will fester and consume him."

From the side, Homura and Koharu shared a knowing look with one another. Kakashi heard what sounded like a soft grunt from Danzō. Did they already have so little faith in this child?

"He needs guidance and support right now. He cannot be isolated."

The Hokage was referring to the notorious Curse of Hatred that had overpowered so many Uchiha in the past – Itachi very well being one of them. Were they really so worried that a three-year-old was capable of developing such strong, negative emotions that he too would turn on the village?

Kakashi hummed, his mouth pulled into a thin line. "I'm sorry, but I'm still confused as to what you want me to do." If it wasn't lessons, then what else could he offer to help the orphaned Uchiha?

Standing tall, the Hokage looked directly down at the kneeling shinobi before him. "Kakashi Hatake, I am hereby charging you with the responsibility and guardianship of Sasuke Uchiha." Kakashi immediately opened his mouth to say something, but a wrinkled hand was raised to silence the ninja. "You will raise and monitor him until he is deemed an independent adult by the village and able to take care of his own person. You are responsible for making sure that as the last Uchiha of Konoha, he does not turn down a dark path that will jeopardize this village."

"You can't be serious! No, absolutely not!" Kakashi barked, jumping to his feet. His head began to spin. He couldn't be hearing this correctly. Had he accidentally fallen asleep and this was all a dream? By the gods, he hoped that was the only explanation for the ridiculousness that he was hearing.

"I'd watch that tone, Hatake," Koharu snapped. The councilwoman took a step forward and brought her hands out from their tucked positions within the sleeves of her robes. For a moment, he thought that the old woman would attempt to strike him.

Kakashi, to say the least, was speechless; not because he was being passive and didn't care to share his opinions, but because he was genuinely at a loss for words.

 _'This can't be happening!'_

Him? As a glorified babysitter? Wouldn't someone like Ebisu be more suited for the job? Hell, they couldn't have picked a less qualified person! Kakashi couldn't even think of the last time he was around a child. The youngest person he had known and talked to as of recently was Itachi and, well, things clearly hadn't turned out great there.

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi began tentatively, "there must be some other option. You must realize that I of all people am not a proper fit to be charged with a child. Why not put him in the orphanage? Surely he could still be monitored easily enough there."

At that, Danzō turned and Kakashi saw the old man's face, bandaged and donning his ever-present grimace. "No," he said sternly, "That's not an option."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Danzō to be so protective over someone, especially a child from a clan that he had always openly disliked. He made a mental note of Danzō's reaction just then – suspicion was never a bad thing when regarding the Shimura elder.

Rolling his eyes and acting far too high and mighty, Homura murmured, "Still a brat, I see. Struggling to adhere to the orders of his Hokage."

Koharu nodded, acting as though Kakashi wasn't standing in the same room as them. "Perhaps he's right, though. How can we trust him with such an important job? After all, he couldn't even keep his own teammates alive."

Kakashi was instantly standing in front of the two council members, having moved so quickly that the air around him hadn't even shifted. Koharu breathed in sharply while Homura had protectively held out his arm in a defensive position. Kakashi didn't realize that his hand had unbuckled the kunai pouch on his thigh until he felt a firm grasp on his left shoulder.

The Hokage was behind Kakashi, holding him back from taking another step toward Koharu and Homura. "I strongly advise that you sit back down before anyone here makes a regrettable decision," he whispered calmly, though his voice still carried an air of intimidation. When Kakashi didn't show any signs of moving, he added more harshly, "Now, Hatake!"

It took another moment of Kakashi slowing his breathing before he calmed down enough to back away. He immediately felt embarrassed for being baited so easily and letting his emotions take over like that. With stony eyes, he gave a small bow to Koharu and Homura. "Please excuse my outburst." It had been an empty apology.

Homura hesitantly lowered his arm, but before they could reply – most likely with something sharp and punishing – the Hokage spoke up, "Please, let me and Kakashi have the room. We can continue our meeting once I finish speaking with him."

The two elders looked like birds whose feathers had been ruffled, insulted that such a request was being made. Koharu licked her lips, ready to speak her mind, but one sharp look from the Hokage was enough to send them on their way out of the office. Homura placed a hand on his old teammate's shoulders, whispering in hushed voices as they disappeared into the hallway. Danzō, too, slowly made his exit, though with far less protest. Nonetheless, Kakashi carefully watched him go.

The man was a snake, constantly coiled but ready to bite.

When it was just the two left in the room, Kakashi turned to the Hokage and apologized. He had broken the most basic of shinobi rules with his eruption. A good ninja never let their emotions show. And despite what he may have personally thought of Homura and Koharu, they were on the council and outranked him. If Kakashi were any lesser of a ninja, he would have just lost his hitai-ate.

"I don't know what came over me," he pled, bowing deeply with his head nearly touching the floor. "Forgive me, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage brushed off his plea and settled back in behind his desk. "Both Koharu-san and Homura-san often speak out of line. Not that I wish for you to gut them, that I couldn't excuse, but they should know that just because they are on this council, they do not have the right to speak so cruelly."

Kakashi bent down and picked up his mask from the floor, turning it over in his hands. He hadn't personally chosen the dog moniker, but he wouldn't lie and say that he wasn't happy that was the one he was given. "What of my ANBU duties?" He was surprised by how hollow his voice sounded.

For the past five years, working within the ANBU had been Kakashi's life. It was where he had thrived and grown as a shinobi. It was with the ANBU where he became a captain of his own team – the youngest to do so in all of Konoha's history! With ANBU, Kakashi had gained the respect and admiration of a village, despite his clan name carrying bad memories for many.

ANBU was what filled the gap in his life after the death of Rin. It was what gave him the motivation to become stronger after the fall of his sensei.

"You are being relieved of your position from the ANBU force," the Hokage said. The words felt like daggers of ice in Kakashi's chest. "This is a direct order. There will be no say against it."

Kakashi didn't respond immediately, but he didn't try to argue against the mandate. There was no trace of emotion on his face as he let the weight of his new duty sink in. This was his mission now, and there would be no negotiating otherwise. Kakashi had accepted long ago that as a ninja, there would always be jobs that he would have to take, no matter how unappealing they were.

"I've already informed Shikaku of your assignment transition, but the ANBU Commander will require the return of your mask as soon as you can."

Kakashi dolefully wondered how much time would pass until another would wear his mask. Who would be so eager to take his place."Yes… Hokage-sama," he finally said with a slight bow of his head, his voice barely above a whisper now.

 _'How can he do this to me?'_ was all he could think, as he painstakingly traced the red markings of his dog mask one last time before placing it on top of the Hokage's desk. The world that he had spent so much time building was being torn down around him, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. Was his skill not valuable enough to the ANBU for his keep?

"Good," the Hokage said with a resounding clap of his hands, showing the first smile of his that night. Kakashi didn't know how the Hokage was so oblivious to the devastation he was going through, or worse, how he just didn't care. He liked to believe that his village leader wasn't that heartless.

"We will introduce you to the boy first thing tomorrow morning. I'll have someone meet you out front of the hospital. For obvious security purposes, we're keeping his current location secret."

Kakashi nodded, having never felt so empty inside. The Hokage's words barely registered in his head.

"Oh, and Kakashi?" added the Hokage, the faintest smirk tugging on his lips. "Try and make sure you don't leave any of those filthy novels you're so fond of lying about. That's the last thing Sasuke needs to see right now."

And with those final orders, Kakashi was dismissed.

* * *

When Kakashi stepped out of the office, he quickly used the last of his remaining energy on a jutsu to teleport him to his apartment. He lazily kicked off his shoes, flung his vest onto the table and stripped his body of the dirty uniform that he had been wearing for the past two days. The metal plating of his armor had stuck to his skin with sweat, and Kakashi was relieved at the feeling of fresh air hitting his skin when he tore away the last of it.

He was too tired to shower or eat.

Stumbling to the couch, he dropped down and stared up at the ceiling, his mind reeling. No longer did he worry about the idea of Konoha going to war; for now, all he could think of was how his life as a Leaf shinobi was ruined.

He tugged at the mask covering the lower half of his face and took several deep breaths of fresh air, trying to still his rapidly beating heart.

"Fuck," he sighed, rubbing his hands against his tired eyes and down his cheeks. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

This wasn't what he had expected to happen tonight. This wasn't what he had ever wanted. A kid? He was supposed to be in charge of a kid? Hell, Kakashi never even wanted to lead a genin team much less raise one in his own home! How old did the Hokage say Sasuke was? Three?

A cold panic rushed through him as he wondered if this meant he was going to have to change diapers. Maybe he should just run away and become a rogue-nin, too.

"What am I thinking?" he groaned. There was no way he would ever abandon Konoha, no matter how angry or frustrated he may have been.

Turning onto his side, with his eyes growing heavy with sleep, Kakashi looked around his small apartment, taking note of everything that would have to change if he was to have a small child live with him from now on. There was the broken stove which needed a new gas valve, the fact that Kakashi only owned a single set of cutlery, the fridge which remained barren most of the time, all the sharp and dangerous weapons lying about because he was too lazy to put away… Yeah, there were going to be some significant changes in his lifestyle, and he wasn't looking forward to them. Not one bit.

 _'A god damn Uchiha living with me,'_ he thought blankly. _'Is this what karma's supposed to be?'_

And with that final thought, Kakashi Hatake allowed the inky darkness of sleep to take him, with the image of an old friend haunting his dreams.

.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━.

.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━.

◆ **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

 **So you may have noticed that the massacre has happened a few years earlier than it did in canon. Like I said, the timeline in this story is different and solely because it helps fit my story. That's it. Next time, we'll get to see lil' Sasuke and Kakashi interact for the first time. Also, this will probably end up being one of the longest chapters I write.**

 **Again, huge thanks to _Rhavia_ , who was gracious enough to beta read for me and help make this into an actual comprehensible chapter! Much appreciated!**

 _ **Until Next Time...  
**_ _ **Sunflower Skies**_ 🌻

❀.❀.❀


	2. Double Digging

❀.❀.❀

◆ **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

 **Oh, wow! My goodness, I never thought I would receive this kind of feedback for the first chapter. Thank you all ever so much, it means the world to me! I am sorry I haven't updated sooner. I could give a list of excuses, but I won't bother. Things happen, things don't always go as planned, and life gets busy.**

 **Anyway, I just want to say that I'm still finding my ground when it comes to writing Kakashi. He's my favorite character, but I personally find him very difficult to write and this story is a personal challenge for myself to try and find that sweet spot. So if he seems out of character at points, please forgive me. I'm working on it and it may take a while. On a side note, though, this is also a pre-Naruto Kakashi so he isn't going to be exactly how he is from the manga/anime.**

 **Last note before the start, I realize that my writing seems kind of, I don't know, dark a serious-ish? Well, at some point things will be getting more light-hearted and cute. So do except a shift in tone as the chapters progress. Not that this is going to be a comedy type story, but like, family-based, y'know?**

.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━.

.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━.

◤◥  
 **2  
** ◣ ◢

 **ＤＯＵＢＬＥ ＤＩＧＧＩＮＧ**

✥.✥.✥

 _"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks."_  
 _\- John Muir_

✥.✥.✥

The first rays of sun shed a colorless glow from beyond the forested hills in the east, turning the damp of night into swirls of iridescent fog that cast endless, flittering shadows along the lush grounds. Kakashi stood beneath the shade of a large hickory tree; his feet balanced atop the massive gnarled roots that sprouted up from the ground, twisting and slithering away from the robust trunk. As its namesake, Konohagakure was widely known for the ancient trees that surrounded their village. Green and ever-looming, the trees were their eternal guardians, providing a natural defense by shielding the village from plain view and creating a rugged terrain that was challenging to navigate. Every so often, Leaf-nin were sent out to scour the woods for diplomats and merchants from other lands who ended up lost while traveling through the dense forest.

Kakashi had been awake for nearly four hours now, having struggled to sleep despite his body aching for much-needed rest. Since his meeting with the Hokage and the council late last night, he had been intensely preoccupied with the specifics of his new assignment, his mind thinking too hard and stopping too little. Was he supposed to buy new furniture? Did the leaky shower pipe in the bathroom pose a danger for a toddler? Would his stipend adjust accordingly to afford all the new necessities to come? Did he have to buy _diapers_?

If the library had been open at two in the morning, Kakashi would have happily rummaged through the archives to find a book or scroll that could provide the tiniest bit of guidance. But unfortunately for him, the library operated on civilian hours, meaning that the doors shut promptly – and rather annoyingly – at ten o'clock sharp.

So Kakashi did what he always did when sleep evaded him: he fled his small apartment in the middle of the night and made his way to the only place in the village where he could close his eyes and think in peace.

The third training ground wasn't anything remarkable in terms of geographical layout, nor did it pertain any advantages for training simulations; that was why it was often overlooked by the jōnin sensei when it came to choosing areas for their genin teams to practice. It was on the smaller side compared to the other grounds scattered around the edges of Konoha, nestled between a narrow portion of the Naka River and the beginnings of the Kyojin Forest. The clearing was flat and open, with few hiding spots or features that could be incorporated into a worthwhile battle. On the other hand, the openness allowed for the use of more explosive and destructive jutsu without causing mass damage.

Looking around the grounds, which were scarcely illuminated by the beginnings of the morning sun, Kakashi shook his head softly. By the gods, he used to hate the place.

When Kakashi was placed on a team at the tender age of five with only a single year of Academy training beneath his belt, Training Ground Three was where his jōnin sensei had decided they would meet every day for practice. The first time he saw their new designated training spot, he hadn't liked the way the sunlight reflected off the water and constantly created a blinding glare; or that the local fauna residing in the woods were exceptionally noisy; or, of course, that it was the furthest training ground from his home, meaning he had to wake up extra early to arrive on time. Minato-sensei must have drawn the short stick when it had come to divvying out the ground selections that year.

While shifting his back against the rough trunk of the tree, Kakashi's eyes landed on three awkwardly placed stumps in the center of the clearing which, at first glance, appeared to hold no significant purpose whatsoever. The sight of them, however, always brought forth memories of cold bento boxes and silver bells. Kakashi sighed as he thought back to what exactly he had disliked the most about Training Ground Three all those years ago and how petty his younger self had been.

The thing he had hated most was how much Obito had loved it.

Obito Uchiha, who appeared to have everything going for him – wealth, incredible power potential, and conventionally good looks, all thanks to his blood lineage – had been utterly smitten with the training grounds. The first early morning Obito, Rin, and Kakashi met there, having just been formed into Team Seven, the Uchiha had nearly given Kakashi a migraine from his inability to shut up. Obito seemed to have a remark for everything around them, even the most minuscule aspects. The trees were _'so tall!'_ and they had the river to themselves because _'all the fisherman work way downstream!'_ and _'it's so quiet here, are we still even in the village?'_

Kakashi hadn't understood the fuss. It was just a dull patch of land that hadn't been built upon yet. There were other parts of Konoha that had the same type of trees, and the river had several access points throughout the village – including the Academy, which often used the waterway during class. As for the quietness, well, Kakashi lived in what was essentially Konoha's backwoods, where not many chose to live for convenience sake, and was thus accustomed to being surrounded by silence. Rin had seemed indifferent to the matter, but smiled and nodded at everything Obito said, which only encouraged him. Kakashi had never understood how she had managed to put up with their teammate's obnoxious and immature behavior. _'Then again,'_ he reminded himself that, in hindsight, she had dealt with a young Kakashi's constant brooding and condescending attitude, as well.

He smiled. Rin had been one of a kind.

With the rustling breeze, a flock of crows departed from the tree he stood beneath.

Kakashi idly watched as they swarmed through the sky in a black cloud, their shrill cries echoing off the hillsides; wholly in sync, the flock arched up and down through the air before finally disappearing over the treetops. He may not have enjoyed the small patch of land years ago when he was young and full of a stubborn need to succeed, but now that he was older – and wiser, he'd like to believe – he appreciated the area and thought it to be one of the better places within the village.

A hand unwittingly traced the outer corner of his hitai-ate and pressed down on the silver metal plate that concealed the left half of his face. Maybe it was after Obito had given him his eye that Kakashi had finally been able to, quite literally, see the beauty and value of Training Ground Three through Obito's perspective.

In the distance, he heard the rumblings of metal carts being wheeled down the cobbled streets of the Market District as the early morning vendors began their set-up for the day, and realized that it wouldn't be long until his second appointment with the Hokage later that morning. With a deep breath, he hopped away from the tree roots and finally made his way toward the center of the clearing. He hadn't wanted to disturb his friends too early, but if he waited any longer then he wouldn't have any time to talk.

As he walked through the dewy grass, Kakashi's fingers nervously itched at his thighs from within his pants pockets. His pace was slow, feet lightly dragging behind.

His body had reached its limit two days ago, and now he'd gone nearly three days without proper sleep. He was running on fumes at this point, and just moving his body took a great deal of effort. Kakashi was frustrated with himself for not trying harder to sleep. Still, he knew that he needed time alone before the day and his apartment was the worst place for that.

 _'Talking to them should help,'_ he told himself. He could always rely on his friends to help him sort through whatever was on his mind.

At the edge of the green field was a large, triangular piece of slate that jutted into the sky like a beacon. It was the dedicated marker for all those who had fallen in the name of the Leaf. The first time Kakashi's father had taken him to visit the stone many years ago, he was told that it was one of the oldest landmarks in the village, older than the first face on Hokage Mountain, even.

While the nostalgia of better days that the training ground gave him were nice, it was this specific feature that kept drawing Kakashi back.

Seven years had passed since Obito's death, and four since Rin's, yet the Copy Ninja continued to visit the Memorial Stone every day. He would pay his respects and, if he had any, share his thoughts and feelings. Coming to the Stone was just as much part of his daily routine as waking and eating. He felt wrong and off-balanced if he neglected to visit.

But why did he feel so obligated to make a daily appearance, even so long after his friends' passing? He wasn't all too sure. Shame most likely, as well as believing there was still a debt to be paid. Or maybe his reasons were more masochistic in nature. Did he visit only to lacerate the emotional scars that had never healed properly until they throbbed and bled once more? Perhaps to scratch and tear at his inner subconscious until one day he went mad?

Yeah, that could have been it.

He untied the cloth band from around his head and carefully tucked it into a pouch on his belt. The pupil in his left eye dilated as it adjusted to the light; already, Kakashi felt a slight ache building in the back of his skull. It was during these visits to the Stone in which he would allow the demons he oh-so tirelessly fought back each day the chance to consume him. Because, gods above, if there was one thing Kakashi Hatake didn't get, it was why he was still alive while everyone he had ever cared about continued to die in front of his eyes.

He was cursed to survive, seemingly since birth, with his mother as the first victim. And as far as he could tell, that had yet to change.

 _'And now I'm supposed to care for a child, one who deserves more help than I could ever hope to offer,'_ Kakashi quietly thought to himself, dread washing over him. With the current mortality status of those he had been charged with protecting in the past, Kakashi couldn't help but think that Sasuke would be better off anywhere else.

His hand brushed over the slab of rock before him, wiping away the water droplets that had formed in the night, leaving the black obsidian glistening in the wake of his touch. The pads of his fingers slowly traced over each engraving that adorned the face of the cenotaph.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he said aloud, the corner of his eyes crinkling with a smile when he felt the names of his friends beneath his fingers. "I've been out of the village, so you'll have to forgive me for not visiting recently, but don't worry, I won't be leaving again for a long while."

The Hokage hadn't said anything about prohibiting Kakashi from leaving Konoha, but if he were the sole caretaker of a toddler, and with his ANBU duties stripped away, he couldn't think of a reason why he would need to now. Kakashi knelt in the grass, the blue fabric of his pants dampening at the knees and chilling his skin beneath; the open-toed sandals he wore allowed his toes to dig into the moist soil. When he was young, Kakashi had liked to play in the dirt with his father's ninken. He had loved the smell of freshly tilled earth and, strangely enough, enjoyed the feeling of dirt caked beneath his fingernails. Since moving into the downtown Market District, he usually only experienced those pleasures while out of the village.

He thought of his most recent mission in Kumogakure, where he had been spying on the Hidden Cloud ninja to gather more information pertaining to the Hyūga clan. During the entirety of his stay, Kakashi had taken shelter in the rocky cliffs upon which the village was built. The climate had been cold and dry, and barely any vegetation grew there. The few trees that did were brown and leafless; a small variety of shrubs and weeds that poked out of small crevices along the mountain. For two months, Kakashi had longed for the sight of the ageless green trees, and to smell the crisp scent of petrichor that wafted through Konoha.

A small beetle with a mossy green shell crept onto the Memorial Stone, inches away from Kakashi's hand; its wings flared up before settling back down, making its presence known. Kakashi was curious if the bug was one of the Aburame's, come to pay its respects to a fallen clan member. While he may have been the most regular of visitors, he was far from being the only. The beetle meandered across the stone surface, which Kakashi mindlessly watched for several long moments.

Sometimes, when his life felt over-burdened, Kakashi wondered if it were better to live a short life as a creature, even one so fragile and vulnerable, to be free and without any conscious, without obligations or rules to be bound by. There would be nothing to worry about except food and survival. Animals weren't troubled with the perplexities of society. Perhaps in his next life he would be reborn as such, maybe a bird or a turtle that bathed in the sun all day, and allowed a short break from everything. _'That could be nice,'_ he thought.

With the beetle crawling out of sight, Kakashi returned his attention to the Stone and said in a slight drawl, "I have a new mission. I don't know how it'll go, though. Haven't done anything of this sort before." Kakashi had to hold back a scoff, "They sure didn't teach us how to prepare for something like this back in the Academy."

The lessons taught back during his short enrollment at the Academy had been very intense with almost all time spent on battle techniques, leaving little room, if any, for exploration into other schools of thought. It was all about jutsu and weapon mastery, with the occasional light sprinkling of enemy country geography. Of course, it had to be that way at the time, with Fire being in the middle of a war and all. It hadn't even been two weeks before Rezā-sensei had passed out newly forged kunai to the class of first-years. At just a mere four years of age, adults were trusting Kakashi to responsibly wield a blade that could have easily sliced through a tendon or artery with one slip-up.

 _'Desperate times,'_ he reminded himself.

Nowadays, with all villages signed into peacetime, Academy students didn't touch a weapon until the end of their first year. Lessons were balanced, and the Academy incorporated a more in-depth scholastic curriculum, with broader subjects such as history and politics, writing and foreign dialects, and even arithmetic's. Students also had the option to take elective classes in more focused areas such as code encryption, animal care, weapon forging, and basic medical aid. It gave Kakashi hope that the generations of Leaf-nin to follow would be much more well-rounded and adapt for shinobi life.

No longer would children be pushed through classes and graduated so villages would have a supply of bodies to place on the frontlines.

Kakashi looked down, his fingers tugging up the strands of grass by his knees. The wet blades squeaked when rubbed together. Sasuke Uchiha was three years old, meaning that it wouldn't be long until he would enter the Academy; though if he had a shred of Uchiha talent, then it was very plausible that he could begin even sooner. He wondered what kind of classes Sasuke would want to take, what kind of future he would want for himself, and what choices he would make to reach his goals.

 _'Does he even want to become a ninja?'_ he pondered. Would what Sasuke experienced fuel the desire to learn the same skills as his brother, or would he want nothing to do with the lifestyle that brought forth the destruction of his family? What would the Hokage say if Sasuke wanted to live a simple life as a merchant or farmer?

Kakashi's palms opened, releasing the clumps of grass from within, allowing them to fall back to the ground. "You guys will be shocked to hear this, if not completely in total disbelief, but I think I might be a little out of my depth here."

If Obito had been there to hear him say that, the Uchiha would have been laughing until his gut ached.

Kakashi Hatake, the prodigy of his generation, was out of his league. And it frightened him, truthfully. He had felt more comfortable when his father had taught him how to properly slit the throat of an enemy so that they bled out quickly and with little mess; that was a skill Kakashi knew he'd have to learn one day. But to watch a child? That wasn't the responsibility of ninja.

"There's this kid," Kakashi continued speaking to the monument, his voice slightly ragged in tone. "He needs my help because I'm the only one in the village who can, I suppose. It seems a bit ridiculous, and I feel like there are other solutions to this problem, but..." But what? He was given an order and who was he to disagree with the Lord Hokage? It wasn't like he had ever taken issue with assignments in the past. What was he so unnerved by?

It was Itachi, he came to realize as his reflection stared back at him from the shining black stone. Itachi Uchiha, a mere child himself, had just done the unthinkable and Kakashi hadn't seen it coming. During Itachi's short stunt on team Ro, he had respected the boy; he was young, determined, and undeniably very talented. Kakashi saw himself in Itachi, and maybe that's what scared him the most.

If he had allowed the darkness to take Itachi, how was he supposed to stop it from corrupting Sasuke?

He paused, debating on whether he should share with his friends the happenings of the massacre. Of course, Obito deserved to know – they were his family. But how was he supposed to explain when he himself didn't understand why it had happened?

Kakashi found himself wondering if Obito's grandmother had still been alive at the time and was one of Itachi's many victims. Then he felt guilty for not keeping better tabs on the old woman's whereabouts, especially when she had been so kind to him over the years, even going as far as to bring him homemade bread.

Kakashi thought back to the previous night, when he had seen the Hokage at a loss for words when describing what had happened in their village. How could he possibly justify to his friends that he hadn't been able to do a thing to stop Itachi Uchiha when it was his job to look after him as his ANBU captain?

 _'And now they want to give me Sasuke in hopes that he doesn't turn out like Itachi,'_ he bitterly thought. How could the Hokage or council trust him, when he couldn't even trust himself?

He sat in the morning mist, silent with contemplation, for another hour. His shoulders hunched and eyes closed. Kakashi would have to ask for Obito's forgiveness in the future for not sharing more, but it hurt too much to do then.

When the sun finally rose above the Hokage Mountain, lighting the waking village with its warmth, Kakashi knew that it was time to leave. He slowly stood and stepped back into the dew-covered weeds; he made sure to correctly re-adjust his hitai-ate over his scarred, red sclera eye. "Sorry for being so quiet," he apologized. "There's more I want to tell you, but I have to go now." He looked to the south entrance, where he could hear the downtown start to come alive with its usual morning activity.

"It's a big day." He forced a smile beneath his mask.

Kakashi reached down and grabbed the bushel of dried sunflowers that he had brought before he had departed for Kumo. He would stop by the Yamanaka's shop at the next chance and buy a fresh bouquet to replace the old one; he thought lavender could be nice. Obito and Rin had both liked the smell of lavender. "I'll see you both tomorrow, then," he spoke coolly, bowing his head before turning on his heel and leaving the grounds vacant once more.

As he walked away, Kakashi wondered if he would ever want to bring Sasuke with him one day.

When he arrived at the hospital shortly after, only a few nurses and aids were on duty, milling through the halls with clipboards and miscellaneous medical equipment. He was glad that it was still early enough that the lobby was mostly empty; there were just a handful of civilians occupying the purple vinyl chairs that lined the walls. As he looked around, Kakashi made sure that his mask was secured over his nose, acting as a barrier between the stale air and his nostrils. He hated the smell hospitals; it always seemed to be the same combination of bleach, urine and sweat, with a slight metallic after note.

It was nauseating. The sooner he could leave, the better.

Stepping up to the reception desk, Kakashi tapped his fingers lightly on the green linoleum counter to garner the attention of the on-duty nurse. When she turned her head from the computer screen to greet him, her blue eyes widened in surprise. "Why, you're Kakashi Hatake!"

 _'Oh no,'_ he sweated, _'not one of them.'_

Being one of the best shinobi in the village – not to toot his own horn – came with quite the trove of perks like top-rate missions, better pay, and more discretion on client approval. However, it also came with a fair amount of disadvantages – like girls constantly fawning over him. Kakashi had discovered that his talents brought the unwanted attention of many during his first year at the Academy, and as his fame – or notoriety, in some cases – rose so did the number of people who wanted to bombard him with affection. It turned out that with great power came great popularity. Not that he liked being so recognized. He didn't attend the Academy to make friends.

Ironically, this surge also made Kakashi very unpopular in the eyes of others; mainly those who were jealous of the adoration he received. Obito had been a prime example. Before becoming teammates and later friends, he had strived to disparage and call out the absurdity of the shallow adoration Kakashi received. It seemed that while most of the girls loved him, almost all the boys felt some form of animosity toward him. He had tried to explain that he didn't ask for the attention, but young boys easily became green-eyed when girls were involved. Luckily for Kakashi, as he grew older, the others matured as well and realized that he had never wanted the attention in the first place.

What Kakashi hated the most about it all was that those who fawned over him didn't even know him, not personally, at least. They weren't his friends, and he'd hardly call them colleagues, just strangers who viewed him as a sort of village celebrity. They didn't know his story or his struggles or his failures. They only liked the idea of him and what he could do. He was the son of the famous White Fang. He was born with a name that meant something to some, and people wanted to latch onto that recognition.

Asuma had told him he overanalyzed the situation and his bitter attitude toward people being friendly to him was why Kakashi had no friends. But he thought Asuma could be a prick sometimes. _'Like he can talk, leaving the village to be some wannabe rebel…'_

Meeting the nurse and her unwavering stare, Kakashi was about to come up with some cold, off-hand excuse of how he had to go while still sounding polite enough, when the young woman stood abruptly, slamming her hands down and leaning over the desk. He noticed that her look of surprise had taken a turn toward irritation.

He blinked. _'That's different.'_

"I've been warned about you!" she huffed, abruptly shuffling through the dark blue files on the desk. She bit at the inside of her cheek until her eyes lit up, having found what she wanted. The nurse produced a stack of papers and read over them, nodding her head slightly every few lines. Kakashi began to worry. Just how horrid was his reputation here that faculty members were put on alert by his mere presence? He didn't remember being that rude during his last appointment.

The nurse frowned and took a deep sigh; the expression on her face was a fusion of disappointment and perplexment. "Mmm-hmm," she hummed softly to herself, reviewing the notes in her hands, "Nana wasn't joking around when she told me about you. Though I'd say you're much more handsome than she made you out to be..." Kakashi was glad his mask covered the shade of red that tinged his cheeks. He had a feeling that Nana was the nurse who had been stuck helping him during his last visit.

"Uh, I'm sorry, I'm a little confused," he lightly chuckled, trying to sound innocent, "have I done something wrong?" Kakashi just wanted to know which wing they were holding Sasuke in.

The nurse, whose name was Chi-Chi according to the small brass nametag on the lapel of her uniform, gazed up at Kakashi, a manicured eyebrow arched sharply. "Let's see... your last check-up was nearly one year ago, your last physical even longer. You're missing several vaccinations and are due for two immunization boosters, vitals need updating, several blood panels were never finished, and you never showed up for your hernia or lung exam!" she read, head shaking with disappointment. "There's even a note here – well, a list really – of doctors and nurses who refuse to work with you! I don't know if I should kick you out the door or call in security to strap you down for treatment!"

Hearing the summary of his medical records read aloud – which he feared would turn into a full-on lecture very soon – was not what Kakashi had expected this early into the morning. Yes, he was aware that he skipped the last few examinations he had been scheduled for, but all for good reasons. Three of those times he was away on a mission, once he was busy helping Genma with document sorting that would have otherwise taken an additional day, and, well, he hadn't felt like going the most recent time he had received a hospital summons.

Besides, it wasn't like he was dying; he'd received no injury that he couldn't treat himself. While the dark circles beneath his eyes and the bruises that peaked from beneath the cuffs of his shirt were misleading, Kakashi was in excellent health and his body at its prime. And if he ever were in dire need of medical attention, then yes, he would go to the hospital. The occasion had just never arisen.

He could tell that Chi-Chi was still very new to working there. Her eyes still shone with a hopeful naivety and lacked the circles that so many of the other hospital orderlies had beneath theirs. He saw that her blue scrubs remained untarnished from any bodily fluids and were wrinkle-free; Kakashi would have guessed that it was still her first week. That meant that she was unaccustomed to his crafty ways of shaking all medical obligations. Though with her young and determined attitude, she may have just been bold enough to try and force him to receive his shots. He had to get out quick.

"Well, Miss, while I'm sure your files are in pristine order, I'm not here for myself today." The only time he'd come to the hospital for himself willingly would be if he were two breaths from dying. "I'm here to meet someone. And while I would otherwise humor you and allow a proper update regarding my files, this is rather urgent, I'm afraid. I'm supposed to meet the Hokage here."

The nurse froze, her face falling flat. "The Hokage?" Chi-Chi asked, brows furrowing. He quickly realized that she had no idea that the most significant person in Konoha was spending his morning at the hospital, too. Judging by the few heads that had turned at the mention of the Hokage's possible presence, it seemed that his visit hadn't been discussed at that morning's meeting.

Well, if the nursing staff didn't know where the Hokage was, they could surely point him to the room Sasuke was being held in. "I'm here in regards to the discharge of Sasuke Uchiha into my personal care." Saying those words aloud, and to another living soul, felt strange. He sounded like a worried father who had come to pick up his child.

Chi-Chi paled, and a look of worry overcame her gentle features. "I heard rumors about that poor boy. The only survivor of that horrendous incident, oh, it's just too horrible to think about!" she cried. "But I'm afraid that there's no Sasuke Uchiha in the hospital at the moment. And I would know because I've been working admissions for the last week."

 _'What?'_ That couldn't be right. He was sure that the Hokage had told him to meet at the hospital. With another glance at Chi-Chi, and then noticing that speaking the name Uchiha gathered some unwanted attention, Kakashi decided on another course of action. He wasn't going to get any answers from anyone there.

"You know, I may have made a mistake in where I'm supposed to go," he lied, wanting nothing more than to get out of the sterile waiting room. He would go to the Hokage Tower next; surely someone there could offer some insight on the village leader's whereabouts. "I think the rendezvous point was somewhere else!" And before the newly minted nurse could get one more word in, Kakashi had turned and walked out the doors, ignoring the faint whispers that followed him out.

He really did hate hospitals.

Outside once more, he breathed in the fresh morning air, allowing it to fill his lungs. It was already warm out, and the wind carried the sweet scent of fresh dango being sold from down the street. Kakashi's stomach grumbled, and he realized that the last time he had eaten anything was before he had been back in the village. _'I'll make just one quick detour, first,'_ he told himself, making his way down the street.

Kakashi never had much of a sweet tooth, but when he came upon the street cart selling freshly made rice flour dumplings, his mouth was near drooling. _'This will surely get rid of this antiseptic taste in the back of my throat,'_ he rationalized, eyeing the glazed balls of dough. Maybe he would buy one for Sasuke, too. Kids were supposed to like sweet things.

 _'Itachi liked dango,'_ Kakashi suddenly reminisced, thinking back to a night that seemed like millennia ago.

It had been during monsoon season, and Konoha was flooding. Kakashi had just finished briefing the Hokage on Team Ro's recently completed mission and was headed back home when he had come across Itachi, sitting in the middle of the street, ignoring the torrents of rain smacking against his lean body. Red flags flared in Kakashi's mind, and he promptly went to check on his new teammate.

Itachi had been very still, statue-esque, even. He sat with his back straight and legs neatly tucked beneath him, and his head bowed low so that his face couldn't be seen from far away. Kakashi had made sure to approach the boy slowly, careful not to startle him; he sent out a small wave of his chakra, too. Shinobi were taught early on that when advancing on a fellow ninja, it was never a good idea to frighten them; the number of kunai piercings and occasional face gouging spoke to the importance of this practice.

No one else had been around, the streets having been deserted in search of dry shelter. As Kakashi carefully came around to Itachi's front side, he noticed the ANBU mask, marked to resemble that of a weasel, resting upon his thighs. Itachi's hands were clenched into tight fists, the thin skin at his knuckles white.

As Kakashi began to kneel, Itachi's head snapped up. He still vividly recalled how the red of Itachi's Sharingan had glowed in the darkness of that night.

"How is it just to kill so many for the benefit of one person?" he had asked. The tone of his voice had been hard to place, as he hid his emotions so well. Even Kakashi had trouble getting a good read on the boy most of the time.

Knowing that Itachi was referring to the details of the mission from which they had just returned from, Kakashi took a moment to think over his response to the inquiry.

It had been Itachi's first mission as an ANBU operative, having been promoted to the rank not even a week ago. The task was simple: Ro was to discreetly infiltrate a small insurgent group that had formed outside of Wind Country's capital. Then, when the time came, destroy it from the inside out.

Konoha had received word that a group called Sons of the Desert was staging violent demonstrations in small villages, having become tired of the Wind Daimyō's apparent favoritism of Leaf Shinobi. It was believed that they were planning to assassinate the Daimyō. Realizing that Suna would have taken side with the insurgency, as the coup d'état would ultimately boost their profit, Konoha had been forced to step in and stop the attack. Ro was chosen for their efficiency and covert ability.

After staking out the group for two days, none of whom were shinobi but disgruntled civilians who wanted a revolution for their country, the ANBU team had struck. It was quick, reaching their desired results within minutes. Ro returned to the Hidden Leaf immediately, leaving seventeen dead in their wake.

The details of the mission had not been discussed previously with either the Wind Daimyō – who was seemingly oblivious to the unrest of his people – or the Yondaime Kazekage, who was becoming more agitated with Konohagakure each year. So Ro's mission was that of top classification, as it was a time of peace and interfering in another nation's government was strictly forbidden.

"I think that there's always a bigger picture to see, and sometimes it can be clouded by the actions we must make in the present," Kakashi had finally said. Killing the insurgent group was ruthless, and who were they to decide the dealings of another country? But he knew the truth, and that was that politics and shinobi business often became one and the same.

After the Third war, Konoha had been in desperate need of money for damage repair, and the Fire Daimyō could only fund so much. When the Wind Daimyō became willing to provide extra resources, now viewing Konoha as a stronger Hidden Village due to their victory, the Hokage couldn't refuse. So if the Wind Daimyō's seat of power were suddenly overthrown, then Konoha's economy would have quickly crumbled away.

Kakashi hadn't necessarily liked the idea, but he didn't have to. It was his job, and a true shinobi always followed orders. Even if it hurt the Hidden Sand Village, who they were supposed to be allies with.

 _'Only in the event of teammate jeopardization should mission orders be disregarded.'_ That was what Kakashi had come to accept.

"Sunagakure will retaliate," Itachi spoke, his voice cold as the rain. A splattering of black blood had stained his fair and otherwise unblemished skin, refusing to wash away even in the heaviest of downpours. "War helps nothing and only leaves good people dead."

Sometimes, hearing the way Itachi spoke, Kakashi had wondered why the boy chose the path of the shinobi, having harbored so much distaste for violence. Of course, his skill with the blade would never betray those feelings. And he didn't think that with his father being the acting clan head, Itachi would have been allowed any other option. Anything else would have been a disgrace to the Uchiha name.

There had been many things Kakashi could have done then in the pouring rain, but after a final moment of thought, the ANBU squad leader had reached out and helped to hoist his teammate back onto his feet. Itachi, no matter how skilled or smart he may have been at the time, was still a child. And there were a lot of things that took time – and occasionally trauma – to fully understand.

"Do you trust the Hokage?"

Itachi had looked up at Kakashi. "Of course," he replied, surprised that his leader would ever ask such a question. "The Hokage keeps the village safe and protects everyone who lives here. That's what I want to do, too. To keep my precious people safe."

That had been good to hear, and Kakashi had nodded his head in approval. "Then you have to trust that the Hokage knows what he's doing when sending teams out on missions. Even if they may seem wrong at the time, the Hokage always has the best interest of his people in mind."

Itachi hadn't said anything back. His chest slowly rose with each breath he took, and his eyes, having returned to their natural dark coloring, were focused ahead at the empty road.

Kakashi had placed a hand on Itachi's back and smiled. "Why don't I walk you home?" Itachi slowly nodded, accepting the offer. "But first, I know a place that's open late to grab a bite to eat, my treat." He hadn't wanted to leave Itachi alone at the time. As the squad captain, it was his job to make sure that his subordinates remained sound in both body and mind. Not that he had been all too worried about Itachi; the young boy was merely recovering from his first real mission. That was common for every ninja.

The two ANBU members, soaked to the bone and splattered with enemy blood, had moseyed down the backstreets of Konoha, seemingly ignorant to storm that beat down upon the village. "You said once that you like sweet foods, right?"

Blinking several times, Kakashi brought his thoughts back to the present. He now held two skewers of rainbow-colored dango in his hand, having unconsciously bought the delicacies while lost in the memory. He had forgotten all about that night until just then; it seemed so long ago, more like a dream than actuality. He wondered when Itachi had stopped believing in the Hokage and if that had been what led him to kill his family.

 _'Does Sasuke still believe in the Hokage? In our village? Does he even understand what that means?'_ he wondered as he carefully placed the sweet dumplings into containers.

"Kakashi!" came a voice from behind. "There you are!"

Turning around, Kakashi watched as Raidō Namiashi, came jogging down the street. Kakashi quickly nodded his head in thanks to the dango vendor one last time before walking up to meet his colleague in the middle of the road. "Yo," he greeted casually. He and Raidō didn't often work together, but they talked when both found themselves at the jōnin station.

"I've been looking for you!" Raidō responded hastily. A faint tinge of red graced his cheekbones, possibly from running around the village while searching for him. "The Hokage is waiting for you at the hospital."

Kakashi frowned. No doubt he would receive an earful later from one of the higher-ups for making the Hokage wait on him. "I was just there," he explained, pointing in the direction of the hospital. "No one knew what I was talking about when I mentioned him. And the nurse had no records of Sasuke having even been admitted. Figured I'd make my way to the Tower, but I got a little caught up thinking about some things. Sorry about that, Namiashi."

Raidō looked a little sheepish now and scratched his cheek. "No, I'm the one who should apologize. It was my job to keep an eye out for you and guide you to the proper location. I should have told them that we were at least expecting you."

"Lead the way, then. I don't think I can afford to piss off the council much more."

The two men jumped to the tiled rooftops and began running toward the hospital. Kakashi held the small paper bag containing the two orders of dango close to his chest. If he were lucky, they'd still be warm by the time they got there.

"We're keeping the Uchiha in a private wing that's held for village elites and visiting diplomats. It's a small annex building right off the back of the hospital. Looks more like an equipment shed than anything else from the outside," explained Raidō with a soft pant of breath. None of the civilians who walked along the streets beneath paid any notice to the two ninja as they blurred across the rooftops.

"The Lord Hokage wanted to keep all information regarding Sasuke Uchiha private and shared only between the need-to-knows. He didn't want any information getting out that could create a possible threat."

Kakashi understood the logic. They would have wanted to keep Sasuke out of the hospital's general population in case of a second attack – though the likelihood of Itachi returning while the entire village was on high alert was very unlikely. Also, due to the stress and gravity of trauma, Sasuke would have probably required specialized treatment that the civilian medics may not have been adequately equipped to handle. He wouldn't have been surprised if the Hokage assigned a team dedicated to treating the boy.

He then grimaced for a short moment, realizing that he had maybe given away too much information when he had gone to the hospital earlier. Kakashi had mentioned both the Hokage and Sasuke by name, and he knew that a good number of people present at the time had heard him. It had been a rookie mistake, made because he still wasn't in the mindset of taking this responsibility as a real mission. He would need to tell the Hokage of a possible information leak that could follow if any of those nurses decided to get gossipy later on. Kakashi was upset that he allowed himself to make such an error.

 _'This isn't about me, anymore,'_ he told himself sternly as their destination came into view. _'A kid's life is going to be affected by my decisions from here on out.'_

The two ninja quickly arrived at the hospital, and Raidō guided Kakashi around to the back where they came across a small square building. It barely appeared larger than Kakashi's apartment. Raidō, noting his colleague's skeptical look, said, "Appearances can be deceiving. This is actually one of the most fortified areas in the village, believe it or not. There are even underground passageways in case of emergency."

 _'Huh, is that so?'_ Kakashi mused, giving the small building another look-over. And here he had thought that he knew all of the secrets in's and out's of the village. He then wondered why he had never been made aware of its existence, especially as an ANBU captain.

Raidō gave a small, quick series of knocks on the metal door; a moment later, it opened with an ANBU standing in the doorway. Kakashi knew that the man wearing the orange painted lemur mask was Gin Tetsuo, one of the older members of the elite force. The hollow, pinprick eyes of the mask didn't allow any kind of emotional display, so he could only wonder if Gin was surprised at Kakashi's current mask-less presence, or had been briefed and was fully aware of the situation. _'Does he think less of me now that I'm no longer one of them?'_

Kakashi had never said anything to Gin in the past, but he highly respected the man's devout work ethics, and that he was known to be one of the best swordsmen in the Eastern Shinobi Nations. It was likely that only Kakashi's father would have been able to best Gin in an honest sword battle.

While all these thoughts poured through his mind, Gin Tetsuo remained stoic and silent. He gave the both of them a quick once-over and stepped to the side, allowing them through without a word. The door closed and locked with a reverberating click behind them.

Kakashi's eyes were forced to readjust to the brilliant white light that filled the building. The annex building was simple in design; a sizeable general room for the chosen medics to go over charts and other basic needs, and then several closed doors, marked to show what kind of room was on the other side. Kakashi observed that there were two operating rooms, one room for examinations, one for quarantine, and one for recovery. He assumed the others where he couldn't read the signs held more equipment and supplies. The specialized hospital branch was clearly only capable of treating a small handful of patients at one time.

At the center of the room was a circular desk, free of clutter and stacks of paperwork, unlike the counter at the main hospital's entrance. It was there that the Hokage was patiently waiting.

"You're late, Hatake," spoke the Sandaime. This was one of the rare occasions that Kakashi saw the Hokage without his trusted reed pipe. He assumed that the village leader wanted to respect the basic rules of the hospital, even though he had the authority to bypass them.

Kakashi bowed deeply. "Apologies, Hokage-sama. There was a confusion at the front desk earlier." He shuffled the dango bag under his arm, hiding it from view. The Hokage didn't need to know of his slight diversion along the way. "And I also need to confess that I may have shared more information than I should have. It was a foolish error on my part and it will not be made again."

The Hokage laughed lightly as Kakashi straightened his posture. He hadn't thought the Hokage would take the news of an intelligence leak so lightly; in fact, the Sandaime seemed to be in an unusually jovial mood at the moment. A stark contrast to his behavior the last time they met.

"No need to fret, my boy, no lives have been put at risk by your delay today," he said. "I'll have Yamanaka's team stop by the hospital soon, though, just to be safe."

Internally, Kakashi blanched. But weren't there? Wouldn't Sasuke's future wellbeing now wholly be dependent on his actions? Could his perpetual lateness somehow cause an event that would lead to Sasuke's demise? He didn't feel so calm anymore, realizing that the boy he was about to take under his wing indefinitely, was waiting just beyond one of the doors in front of him. The reality of the matter washed over him again in full-force.

He should have told Obito and Rin the full-truth earlier. If he could have talked about everything, really told them how anxious he was at least once, it might've helped his nerves.

The corners of the Hokage's lips quirked upward. "Don't worry, Kakashi," he soothed. "Knowing how your mind works, you are overthinking too many of the details." The Hokage picked up a glass of water that had been sitting on the desk but didn't take a sip. "It's just a boy, Kakashi. And as I recall fairly well, you were one not all that long ago."

Kakashi wasn't sure if that was supposed to make him feel better. Because with time, he had become well aware of how troublesome he had been for other people to deal with. _'The Hokage thinks that I'm fit for this responsibility, that I'm the one who should be entrusted with taking care of this kid. I have to believe in his decisions.'_

It was like he had told Itachi years ago: the Hokage knows what's best for the village. Kakashi had to keep trusting that judgment.

"Why don't I introduce you now?" the Hokage offered and gestured a robbed arm toward the door closest to them. "He's been fairly quiet all day, but I'm sure that you two will be able to get along soon enough."

The Hokage walked up to the door, where two more ANBU stood on either side of the entrance. Kakashi didn't recognize either of them, however, and realized that they must have been new recruits; the swirled tattoos on the upper biceps were still fresh and scabbing over. He wondered if either knew that just a day ago, Kakashi would have been their superior in rank. The guards bowed and stepped out of the way, allowing the Hokage to open the door.

Kakashi's heart was beating exceptionally fast, but his face would never betray his emotions. He was the perfect picture of calm and collected, always had been. And he sure wasn't going to have this kid's first impression of him be that of a nervous wreck.

Kakashi wondered how Sasuke was feeling, if he was nervous too. _'Terrible, I'm sure,'_ Kakashi chastised himself. After having his entire world thrown up in flames, there was no conceivable way that Sasuke would feel anything else.

 _'Well, other than anger, sadness, confusion and everything else a kid that age feels,'_ he surmised. It would be foolish of him to try and think that Sasuke's thoughts and current emotional state could be so easily categorized right then. Sasuke was a distressed three-year-old who would be battling with emotions and hardships that no child should ever have to face. He knew that with time, he would have to address each aspect of Sasuke's trauma individually and with care, not pigeonhole the boy into one personality trait.

This really would be the hardest job Kakashi had ever taken on.

The Hokage turned the brass handle and pushed inward. Kakashi stayed behind, pausing for just another second longer. _'You can do this, Hatake,'_ he told himself firmly. _'It's just another mission. Another duty to be fulfilled. You've trained your whole life to adjust accordingly to the situation at hand.'_ He caught a glimpse of dark hair in the other room.

 _'Well, it's time to adapt.'_

"Sasuke," he heard the Hokage say politely from the other room, his voice light and warm, not at all how it had sounded just last night. "There's someone here I'd like you to meet."

Knowing that was his final cue to enter, Kakashi released the breath he had been holding in, pulled out the now crumbled dango bag from beneath his arm, and stepped through the door to greet his new life.

.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━.

.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

 **I hope that this chapter didn't disappoint and continues to live up to your expectations! I know I said Sasuke would be introduced in this chapter previously, but I decided that I wanted one last chapter of just Kakashi left alone to his thoughts. I figured I could use this chapter to lay down just a bit more foundation for Kakashi's current state-of-being. And don't worry, I don't plan on using so many flash-back sequences again.**

 **I promise though, lil' Sauce will be here next time around!**

 **Also, what would you guys think about future chapters being told in a different POV? Or chapters that have multiple POVs throughout? 'Cuz I'm still debating whether or not I want to keep this strictly in Kakashi's perspective or mix things up at some point. Thoughts?**

 **And again, I'd like to thank Rhavia for being oh-so gracious and beta reading this chapter for me, even when they have so much going on in their own life right now, they still made the time to help me! **

**As always, constructive criticism is more than welcomed, and I love to read feedback about how I can improve my story.**

 ** _Until Next Time...  
_ _Sunflower Skies_ 🌻**

❀.❀.❀


End file.
